Not
to be confused with Public House at the Luxor; it seems that, since
the name is a generic term, no one can lay exclusive claim to it. In
any case, this place describes itself as a gastropub.

The MenuLots
and lots of beer - more than 200 varieties. I counted 24 taps and 3 casks.
Food offerings are more adventurous than those found at a typical bar
- especially the appetizers. Thus, there is poutine, foie gras, bone
marrow and octopus.

The
AtmosphereI
sat at the bar, so my comments are restricted to that area. At 7 pm on
a Saturday, it was moderately full, and got busier as the evening
progressed. However, it never felt crowded, and even the loud rock
music wasn't bothersome. It's a good place you can sit around, watch
one of the television sports games, and talk to other patrons.

The FoodI
decided on two appetizers, figuring that would make a light meal:
poutine; bouchot mussels with beer, shallots, bacon and crème fraiche.
Alcohol consisted of one bottle of Sam Smith's Pale Ale.

The
mussels were slightly gritty, and not especially plump. However, the
rich sauce hid some of that, and there was plenty of toasted bread to
sop everything up. Not good for a restaurant, but not bad for a bar.

Now, about the poutine: for the uninitiated, poutine is a French
Canadian dish made with french fries, cheese curds and gravy; other
stuff is sometimes added. Public House's poutine consisted of: a very large
bowl of thin, crisp french fries; a small amount of gravy; two modest
pieces of cheese curd; a generous amount of duck; a fried egg (optional). This
was the first time I had ever tried the stuff, so take my comments with
a grain of salt*. However, I've got to believe there are better versions
out there. This version was seriously lacking in cheese and gravy, yet still managed to be very salty.*As
a native of Bawlmer, Merlin, I know that french fries are meant to be
served with gravy only; cheese curds are for furriners.

SummaryI
liked Public House's atmosphere, and would consider returning for a
beer or two. However, my first experience makes me wary of ordering
food again. The
problem may lie in expectations. Describing itself as a gastropub, I
expected restaurant quality food; I got bar quality food.It might be best to order a small snack to go with your beer, and eat dinner elsewhere.